Glittering past, fascinating future: Concept cars and prototypes at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014.

Company press release.

Munich / Milan. The Concorso d'Eleganza is celebrating its 85th anniversary in 2014. The world's most tradition-rich event for historic cars and motorcycles has been held in the same location since 1929, developing over the decades into a quite unparalleled occasion. Nowhere else do exclusive classic vehicles share the stage with trailblazing concept cars and prototypes in such stylish surroundings; the Concorso offers a compelling reminder of the enduring fascination engendered by motor vehicles on two wheels and four. Indeed, every year car and motorcycle aficionados from around the world flock to Lake Como to scrutinise the beauty of years past and compare those gifts with the design of the future. Over three days (23 – 25 May 2014) the Concorso d'Eleganza celebrates both the history of mobility and its future amid the beguiling grounds of the Villa d'Este luxury hotel and Villa Erba in Cernobbio. This year the BMW Group has contributed two fascinating concept vehicles to proceedings.

While the majority of the awards for the classic vehicles are bestowed by an international jury during the three-day event, the Coppa d'Oro Villa d'Este on Saturday and the BMW Group Italia Trophy on Sunday are decided by public vote. The public also determines the destiny of the Concorso d'Eleganza Design Award for the finest concept vehicle at the event. As the brand's centenary would seem to demand, the list of entrants in 2014 includes a prototype from Italian sports car manufacturer Maserati.

Maserati Alfieri.

The concept car designed to mark the centenary of Maserati continues the stylistic heritage of the brand and offers a glimpse into the company's future design direction. The 2+2-seater is an exciting and fully functioning prototype, and is named Alfieri in recognition of the most noted of the Maserati brothers. Alfieri Maserati was a talented engineer and set up the Officine Alfieri Maserati in Bologna 100 years ago. The Maserati Alfieri was created by a small group of young designers, headed by Marco Tencone, at the Maserati Centro Stile in Turin. The project was originally the brainchild of Maserati design chief Lorenzo Ramaciotti. The concept car recalls the company's many years of racing experience and tradition of building exclusive GT cars. The Alfieri is powered by a Maranello-built 4.7-litre naturally aspirated V8 engine developing 460 hp and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft) of torque.

100 Years of Maserati.

The centenary of the famous brand with the trident logo will be celebrated at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014 with a special category of competition. The list of entrants will include a Maserati 450 S. The 1956 racer is the second of only nine examples of the car ever made. Also on show will be a Maserati V4 Zagato from 1929 with its 16-cylinder engine. It is the sole surviving example of what was at the time the fastest racing car in the world.

Founded in Bologna in 1914 by five brothers – Alfieri, Bindo, Carlo, Ettore and Ernesto – as the Società Anonima Officine Alfieri Maserati, the company started out building only racing cars. Its first series-produced model, the Maserati A6, arrived in 1946. In 1957 Juan Manuel Fangio lined up for the Formula One World Championship at the wheel of a Maserati 250F, and promptly piloted the car to his fifth world title.

110 Years of Rolls-Royce.

In December 1904 the Rolls-Royce company, formed just a few months earlier, presented its models for the first time at the Paris Motor Show under a brand name which to this day remains a byword for automotive luxury around the world. 110 years on, the rotunda at Villa Erba will host a fascinating showcase devoted to the Spirit of Ecstasy, the winged figure atop the radiator of Rolls-Royce cars which has been part of the marque's history since 1911 and has established itself as a globally recognised symbol for Britain's automotive heritage. The Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este will also honour the 110-year anniversary of the marque with the presentation of selected rarities from the Rolls-Royce past. These models, dating back to various periods in the company's history, embody in their own individual ways the 'strive for perfection' maxim declared by co-founders Charles Rolls and Henry Royce as their brand philosophy and guiding principle.

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Concorso di Motociclette.

Since 2011 the Concorso di Motociclette has also been an established part of the three-day programme. In the parkland of Villa Erba visitors will be able to feast their eyes on an exhibition of extremely valuable and historically important motorcycles. This year these include a pair of four-cylinder motorcycles from the USA, both the work of designer William Henderson and both considered dream motorcycles of the 1920s. A group of five motorcycles from England, Italy and Germany likewise promise to be a popular draw – a quintet that moved the world land speed record for motorcycles on from 200 to 279 km/h (124 – 173 mph) between 1929 and 1937. Also sure to attract considerable attention are the first export models from Japanese brands Yamaha and Honda, not to mention one of the few motorcycles ever to bear the Maserati badge, a Maserati T4 Regolarità.

The competition classes for historic cars and motorcycles.

The vehicles nominated for prizes at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014 will be split into categories – nine classes for cars and five for motorcycles. The various categories reflect, in impressive fashion, the extraordinary variety of two and four-wheeled rarities on display on the banks of Lake Como. The classic examples of motor car history will line up as below:

Class A: Rolls-Royce – 110 Years of Excellence

Class B: The Great Gatsby – Cars Fit for a Prince

Class C: Gone with the Wind – Streamlined Styles of the 1930s

Class D: Villa d'Este Style – Italian Automotive Culture

Class E: From St. Tropez to Portofino – Al Fresco Motoring for Two

Class F: Le Fuoriserie – Unique Flights of Fantasy

Class G: Maserati – The First Century

Class H: Gentlemen Drivers – From the Track to the Theatre

Class I: Da Corso – Racing for Glory

The historic motorcycles will be presented in the following categories:

Class A: The Great Gatsby

Class B: The Elegance of Sidecars

Class C: First Steps from Japan

Class D: Six Days in the Sixties

Class E: Top in Class

In addition, the 'World Speed Records 1929 – 1937' category will recognise the finest representatives from the pre-war era in world speed record competition.

BMW Group Classic at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2014.

No other beauty contest for cars and motorcycles worldwide can match the heritage and tradition of the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este. Since 1999 the event has been held under the patronage of the BMW Group, and this will be the tenth occasion that BMW Group Classic has hosted the exclusive event on the banks of Lake Como. This year's Classic Weekend begins on Friday, 23 May 2014 with the arrival of the participants. The public days on Saturday and Sunday give the assembled car and motorcycle enthusiasts the opportunity to admire a line-up of rare and extraordinary models against the impressive backdrop of the Villa d'Este luxury hotel. The Concorso di Motociclette takes place at midday on Sunday in the grounds of Villa Erba.

The support programme at the event is more attractive and wide-ranging than ever. On the evening of the first day of the event, for example, the parkland of Villa Erba will be transformed into an evocative open-air cinema. Entry is free to enjoy the Hollywood remake of the classic movie The Great Gatsby on a big screen. A special class of competition at the Concorso d'Eleganza is also devoted to the theme. One of the vehicles entered is from the legendary brand Duesenberg, one of only 20 surviving examples of a classic model built between 1919 and 1926. And the Roaring Twenties also set the tone for numerous other items on the programme. For example, the parades of historic vehicles on both Saturday and Sunday will be accompanied by models dressed in Roaring Twenties style.